


Dreams on Pages

by Aro_Tarot



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Aromantic Sherlock Holmes, Author John, Editor Sherlock, M/M, Platonic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 02:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11152785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aro_Tarot/pseuds/Aro_Tarot
Summary: You're stuck editing romance after romance. Everyone is obsessed with soulmates, but as far as you know, you somehow don't have one. However, a brief visit from a co-worker changes everything you know.A short soulmate story in second-person point of view.





	Dreams on Pages

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. This is the first Johnlock that I've finished, and I thought that I would share it. I don't have a beta and am American, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. I also don't really know anything about editors and such. Feel free to point them out, so I can fix them. I'm so not the best writer, so apologizes. I just gets these story ideas in my head and need to at least write something down.  
> Originally this story was made for the English course I'm currently in, but I decided to edit it and turn it into a Johnlock since I had the characters in mind when I came up with the plot.  
> You can find me at aro-tarot.tumblr.com as well as on here, and I may put up a longer Johnlock when I get a few chapters done.  
> Anyway, I hope everyone likes it. Comments and such are appreciated.

Dull. It’s all so dull. Why must every single writer have to write about romance and soulmates? It’s honestly giving you a headache. You can barely remember when the last time you had to edit something from any other genre. If only someone would come along and fix that. You push your gold-framed glasses further up your nose as you begin to read the next page. Really? Now they are talking about love at first sight. This is all getting out of hand. You put the manuscript down and rub your eyes. 

When you first decided to become an editor, you thought that maybe you would get a job editing non-fiction or something along those lines. At the time, you couldn’t find any job offers for something like that, but you did find one at a rather nice company for fiction. You had excepted before really thinking about it on account of your rather annoying brother that wouldn’t leave you alone about getting a job. Had you had time to think about it, the probability of getting stuck editing romance novels might have come to mind. After all, the subject has always been popular, but over the years, it had been getting more popular. In fact, it still is hence the reason why you’ve contemplated quitting. You probably would have if it wasn’t for, again, your brother.

Now it’s not that you have anything against romance novels. It’s not like you have anything against soulmates either. After all, they are real. In fact, you’re stuck hearing about them all the time whether you are at work or not. Books, movies, and even art all focus so heavily on the subject. Then it’s even mentioned in the scientific journals you like reading. Scientists are always trying to find a reason that people have soulmates. Why are these people linked at a subconscious level? And why does it always show itself in the form of dreams usually during the teenage years? Originally this interested you because you never _had_ dreams with your soulmate when you were in your teen years. However, you quickly stopped finding it interesting when the subject was used to bully you. 

Everyone around you were having dreams with their soulmates, but you were not. These people called you heartless and a robot along with other uncreative insults. Everyone has a soulmate except for you. You still hear it every time you are forced to be in the same presence of a few of your fellow co-workers; namely Donovan and Anderson. You don’t really see the point in being so hateful even if you have a tendency to call them out on their affair. At least their jabs at you aren’t as bad as the others you had heard in school. Sometimes they would go as far as imply that it was because of your personality or looks. You aren’t the most social person, and most people find that you are too blunt and quite rude. You’re a rather slim fellow at a rather decent height. The jabs usually centered around your sharp cheekbones for some reason. So, what if you aren’t the most handsome man? That hardly has anything to do with soulmates. Thinking so is completely illogical. Besides, why should you care? Why should you let it get to you? Doing so is also completely illogical.

It does get to you though. You can’t stop these feelings. You try to just let your brain control you, but your heart always finds a way through. You’ve done your best to build up walls, but sometimes the bricks crack or fall down from the top. Deep down, you know that there is nothing wrong with you, but those menacing thoughts still creep into your mind every time you see or hear about soulmates. It’s times like that when you really wish that more studies were done in other areas of the whole soulmate phenomenon.

Currently the most groundbreaking studies are about people that have more than one soulmate. It’s something that most refused to believe in. There was a time when people did not believe that some people have soulmates that are the same gender. Luckily, that one is only ignored by heavily religious individuals. The one study that you would actually be interested in would be the study of platonic soulmates. You had heard of this happening to other aromantics, but the lack of representation has prevented anything like that from happening. Even some sites online believe that you are misspelling the word when you type it out. It’s dreadful. If it wasn’t for those few stories you’ve heard, you would have believed that your lack of a soulmate was because you are aromantic. 

Still, sometimes you can’t help thinking about how wrong and broken you are to not have one…

“Sherlock.” You look over at the doorway when you hear your name. Ah. It’s just Mike Stamford, one of your co-workers that you actually don’t mind. “I could really use your help. I have so many things to do, and another manuscript was brought to me. Do you mind taking over on this one?”

“If it’s another sappy romance novel than no.”

“Actually, this one is an adventure novel about pirates.”

Pirates? That’s different. In fact, just the sound of it peaks your interest. “Did Lestrade say you could transfer it over to me?”

“Yes. I was only put on it because the writer’s old editor has since retired.”

“Hm. I see. Alright, I’ll take over. Set it down along with any contact information, and I’ll get started on it as soon as I’m done with this one.”

“Thank you so much, Sherlock.”

Huh. This should be rather interesting. As soon as Mike leaves the room, you pick up this new manuscript and begin reading. The pages turn faster than any you’ve been stuck editing before, and you find yourself even more intrigued. You just have to meet this writer. You just have to ask him about the plot and characters because… well, because it seems so familiar.

By the time you _do_ meet the author, you’ve completely forgotten it all, and you have no idea why he’s so angry with you. You barely had to do any editing compared to the other ones that end up taking so much of your time.

The man in front of you actually has yet to introduce himself. As soon as the shorter man with a cane entered your line of sight, observations ran wild. It was only natural that you came to the conclusion that this must be Dr. John Watson. Although there is one piece of evidence that you still don’t have…

“You counted. You bloody counted how many sentences were run-ons.”

“Afghanistan or Iraq?”

“Afghanistan. How did you- “

“It’s of no importance. I’m sure I can tell you another time. Now, you were saying?”

“Oh, yes. You counted how many run-on sentences there were.”

“Of course, and I found it quite surprising that there were seventeen considering the rest of your work was fine.”

“Those bits were the character’s train of thought running off course. They were put there on purpose.”

“Ah. I’ve never been a fan of those. And now you see why it’s important that authors and editors contact each other throughout the process. How was I to know that was your style? It’s quite different than your previous works.”

“I’m not sure if I should be flattered by the fact that you’ve read my other works or not.”

“Your current work is interesting, so I went ahead and read your last few books in my free time. I didn’t enjoy them as much as I hoped considering they were quite dull and cliché.”

“And then the flattering ends.”

“Now, may I ask where the plot idea came from? Were you inspired by an older work? I couldn’t exactly see how your time in the field influenced this work. I have been called in to help on works by returning soldiers, and this is nothing like what they wrote.” You start to mumble to yourself. You aren’t quite sure what the gentleman in front of you can make out. Although you aren’t really speaking to him. “Perhaps it was- “

“My dreams.” You raise your eyebrow at the man, and you watch as he sighs and adjusts his grip on his cane. “I connected with my soulmate when I was a kid, but as soon as I moved, the dreams stopped. I assumed that the distance made the connection weak. I’ve read about that happening. Some people will lose contact or gain contact because they move closer. After everything that has happened in my life… I just… I just want to actually meet him. I thought that if I wrote the tales that we told up in a book then he might see it. Those books that you thought were dull and cliché were a bit popular after they were published, so I thought that maybe this one would get some attention and- Are you- Are you even listening?”

You actually had stopped and found yourself in deep thought. The memories were filed under things that were of no use, but you didn’t want to forget. You haven’t opened and viewed them since you were a boy. Could this… Could this be-

“Mr. Holmes?”

You snap out of it. “Please call me Sherlock. I’m sorry. It’s just… You said that you dreamed these as a kid with someone that was presumably your soulmate?”

“Yes, and I know what you’re thinking. It’s abnormal to share dreams with your soulmate at such an early age, but I know it was him.”

Your speech quickens. “I believe you. I absolutely believe you. Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? I just thought that you were a character created by a lonely boy with no friends and an annoying brother.”

“What?”

“It all makes sense now. This explains why I never shared dreams in my teens or later. Hm. I don’t really mind not being asked to participate in recreating our stories. My writing is always too dry for most; almost like a text book.”

“Could you stop for one minute? What are you going on about?”

“It seems that you have found your soulmate sooner than you thought you would. You might remember calling me Eyepatch Billy since you considered my name to be too posh sounding for a pirate.”

“You’re… You’re him, aren’t you? You’ve… gotten taller. Um, is your brother still being a pain?”

“When isn’t he a pain?”

“Right. You always used to say that. I…” His cane falls without him realizing. Yes, it is definitely psychosomatic. “I’m kind of in shock right now. It’s been so long. Is this what it’s usually like when you meet your soulmate?”

“Usually it’s written with a bunch of hearts and rainbows and other cliché things, so I wouldn’t know.”

“This is just… Wow. Um, I assume you’d want to catch up as well?”

“Of course. I was just about to go on my break before you barged in here, so lunch?”

“Starving.”

You go around your desk and pick up the cane. “Will you be needing this?”

“Oh, um, thank you.” He takes the cane from you, and hesitantly puts his weight on it. You can tell when the limp comes back. It seems that just meeting his soulmate isn’t going to just cure is limp right away. You do have so ideas though.

You take ahold of his free hand and walk out of your office. You can’t help glancing over at him during this. He’s quite handsome, and you can’t stop yourself from feeling so lucky that he’s _your_ soulmate. A smirk makes its way upon your face as you take a sharp turn left.

“Um, Sherlock, the exit is that way.”

“I know.”

“Then why are we going this way?”

“I need to walk past the offices of a few annoying co-workers.”

“Alright then.”

And so, the story of Eyepatch Billy and Peg-legged Johnny started anew.


End file.
